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THE MAN OF GALILEE 



The Better Part 

In Metre 



V 



By 

SHELDON LEAVITT 



" Martha, Martha, you are anxious, 
and trouble yourself about many 
things; but only a few are neces- 
sary, or rather one. Mary has 
chosen the good part, and it shall 
not be taken away from her." 

— Jesus Christ 



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Published by 
MAGNUM BONUM COMPANY 

CHICAGO 







Copyrighted by 

MAGNUM BONUM COMPANY 

1909 




To those who Love 
With Human Sentiment 
Outmeasuring Life and Ease, 
These Lines I Dedicate. 




JL 



"Between lovers it is only the loose change 
of conversation that gets into words. The 
important matters cannot wait so slow a mes- 
senger; while the tongue is being charged with 
them a look, a twitch of the mouth, a movement 
of the finger transmits the story, and the 
words arrive; like Blucher, when the engage- 
ment is over." 

— J. M. Barrie. 




The Better Part 

N HEBREW 
maiden's eyes, 
with lashes 
long 
And dark, intent- 
ly peered 
Along the path 
that swept with 
graceful curve 
About the hill and 
soon was lost 
To view, as back and forth she paced 
Upon the roof of a small house 
Within the little town of Bethany 
An afternoon of long ago. 




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The sun lay on the hill in color deep, 
And a rare silence hung about the 

place. 
The day had drawn its weary hours 

out 
And now had reached the point 
Expectant for th' impatient one 
Who waited there alone. 
How artless and how sweet that 

girlish face! 
How fair that form, clad in a simple 

garb! 
In face and form and movement one 
Could read a strength of soul. 
And a wealth of impassioned senti- 
ment — 




Hall-marks of royalty which Nature 

gives 
Most sparingly. 

The restless step was held half made 
Whene'er a human form appeared 
Upon the path, in hope that it should 

be 
The figure of that plebeian youth 
Whose nature, touching hers, had 

roused 
The fires of a deep love. 

He oft had come along this very way 
And waved her greeting as he came. 
"He will not fail me I am sure," 
She murmured as again she paused. 




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''This is the hour, and soon — Ah, 

there he comes," 
She cried, ere other eyes than hers 
Had seen a meditative youth 
Saunter with graceful step along the 

way. 

With all the warmth of youth and 

love 
She flew to greet him as he came, 
To bid him welcome there. 

Well matched were they in tempera- 
ment and type. 

His fairer shade of countenance and 
hair 

Was in strong contrast with her 
darker hues. 




We see them there e'en now, his 

soulful eyes, 
Blue as the vault of heaven, 
Reading the lines of sentiment 
In that expressive face. 

The sister and the brother of 
This maiden fair greeted the guest 
Cordially, for they had long been 
friends. 

A happy family this, beneath a 

humble roof. 
The mood of all was full of cheer; 
A vein of pleasantry ran through all 

speech. 
They chatted on an hour, as do the 

young. 



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Of things and people here and there. 
The guest, though eldest, was as 

young in word 
As any of the rest, and yet 
There seemed in him a settled sense 
Of power reserved, of greatness un- 
disclosed. 
There was a mein which plainly said, 
In modest tones, "This is no common 

clay;" 
And yet a plain simplicity 
Dwelt in his words and acts. 
There was a veil of mystery 
Enwrapping him. 

His parents were well known as plain 
And honest souls living most happily 
In Nazareth of Galilee. 



10 



'Twas said this son should some day 

be a king, 
Though where his kingdom was to be, 
Or when, had not been told. 
Some said 'twas but a mother's 

foolish pride 
Had given out the word; but others 

held 
That God had named him Jesus as 
A mark of royalty. 
'Twas also said that he had been 
In solitude for many months; 
That he had been among Egyptian 

seers 
And learned the secret of their 

powers ; 



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That he had healed sick folks, 
And made the blind to see. 
A fellow townsman had he freed 
From demons, and a friend lame from 
His youth had he restored to even 
step. 

But he had held his peace. 

He vaunted not himself, and now 

To those dear friends, his hosts, he 

seemed 
No other than a brother dear. 

These visits now and then he made, 
and some 



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Had said that he and Mary lovers 

were; 
And so they were, in truth. 

This was a happy visit, like the rest, 
And on a certain morrow, as the sun 
Hung over the horizon yet an hour. 
He left them with a fond good-bye. 
But ere he went, Mary and he 
Stole to the roof for a brief talk alone. 
They sat in silence for a time, 
As lovers love to sit. 
Not listless but enwrapped in reverie 
Absorbing and profound. 
The stillness of the hour and of the 
town 



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Gave emphasis, and made his words, 
Which voiced the thought that broke 

the pause, 
Impress her heart indelibly deep. 
"Mary, my dear," he said, ''oft do I 

find 
My heart drawn hitherward, and oft 
My feet would ardently here turn 
Where I have ever found a peace and 

joy 

Not elsewhere known. 
But I must tell you plainly, dear, 
My life has been unfolding to an end, 
A purpose, as the leaf unfolds 
And then the bud and flower. 



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My manhood, into which from callow 

youth 
That had no meaning to my friends, 
I now have come, unto me certifies 

the task 
My Father's will has laid upon my 

heart. 
My time has now arrived, and I must 

work 
While it is day, for soon the night 

will come. 
You do not understand, nor I. 
But there is laid on me a sense of 

power 
And purpose which bespeaks 



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A mission, and a message true 

For many souls. 

My feet are at the threshold of the 

door 
And all the impulse of my mind and 

heart 
Move me to enter in. 
Henceforth among the throng I shall 

be found 
Proclaiming truths which even now 
Within me burn and press for 

utterance. 
I must away, but ere I go. 
My heart prompts me to say, 
Among all women thee I love the best. 
I do not say farewell, for I shall come. 



16 



It may be oftener than before, 

To escape the press, and rest. 

I go, and God be with you, Love!" 

And he was gone. 

She heard his manly step along the 

way. 
A maiden sat alone, tearful, forlorn, 
Brooding in silence on the days to 

come, 
So somber and so sad. 
Then, as the curtain of the night 
Fell softly down and shut her in, 
Rising, with heavy heart, to go, 
"His mission shall be mine," she 

said. 



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And later, as she lay alone, 
She dreamed that he was ever near 
To calm, to comfort, to sustain. 
Thrice blessed sleep! How it doth 

lull us in 
Its restful arms, healing our griefs 
And softening all our woes! 



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"No man knows the richness of love who has 
not at times found out what it is to put out 
heavy expense for his love's sake." 

— Charles V. Dole. 





USTY and travel- 
worn they 
came, 
Jesus and his dis- 
ciples, Peter, 
James 
And John leading 

the way, 
Unto that hamlet 
in the Judean 
hills, 
Which nestled 
close beside Jerusalem. 
The summer sun had sunk 
Behind the pink horizon, thus 
Assurance giving of a bright return; 



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And twilight, with its calm, 
Was settling o'er the scene. 

The Prophet was well known to all, 
For often had he thither bent his way 
To pass the night, when worn 
With clamor for relief 
From ailments of the flesh and mind 
Of the rude throng which daily 

pressed him sore 
Where'er he went. 
Some of the people whom he met 
As he passed on had felt his healing 

touch. 
And heard his voice speaking 
The words of health and life. 



22 



Simon the Leper lived only a turn 

away, 
And Lazarus, whom he had called 
Forth from the tomb, lived with 
His sisters at the end of the 
Short pathway into which his feet 

now led. 

For many years 

This brother and these sisters had 

Been knit in closest sympathy 

And dear companionship 

With this man who by all 

Was said to be a coming king. 

The neighbors said that Jesus loved 

The handsome Mary, who 



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Had grown in all the traits 
Which make a woman loved. 
Many a time, in days long gone, 
They lingered on the roof of this rude 

house 
Just as the shadows of the night 
Began to fall, as lovers often sit 
Silent from deep emotion which the 

tongue 
Cannot express nor tones phonetic 

spell. 
He sat and pondered on what lay 

before, 
Of work and suffering for human 

kind. 



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Which from the pleasures of domestic 

life 
Would him debar. 

His mission to mankind seemed stern, 
So much of sacrifice did it involve. 
His human love — yes, human love — 
Welled up in all its energy, 
Though never for a moment had it 

power 
To change his purpose to fulfill 
His destiny; 
And yet that human love, in being 

shorn 
Of full expression, suffered much. 



V. 



The little family a welcome gave 
Ere he had reached their humble 
home. 



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Their yearning hearts knowing full 

well 
That he would come to them for rest, 
As he so oft had done before. 



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They kissed him — Mary, Martha, 

Lazarus — 
Bidding him "welcome" with a 

warmth 
That love alone can give; 
And he, with courteous "Good 

night" 
To his disciples, who at Simon's 

house 
Would pass the night, entered with 

them 
The humble home. 



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Events which had o'ertaken them 
Since last the honored guest 
Had slept beneath the roof 
Now sheltering him, were lightly 

touched upon, 
And then the smoky lamps went out 
That all might rest until the morn. 

These humble friends knew not how 

great 
Was he who slumbered there that 

night. 
They knew him as a lofty soul, 
Replete with power. They knew 

him as 
A sturdy friend who loved them well. 



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They looked upon him as a man of 

God, 
Whose mission was to uplift and bless; 
But whence he really came and who 

he was 
They could not understand. 
Some said he was Elias come again. 
By John the Baptist he was called 
"The Lamb of God who takes away 
"The whole world's sin." 
Some looked upon him as a king, 
Whom God had sent that Israel 

might be saved 
From the oppressor's yoke. 
The unseen forces leaped to do his 

will; 



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Lazarus himself he called forth 

From the dark tomb where he had 
lain for days. 

They raised their eyes to him in awe, 

Believing him God-filled and heaven- 
inspired; 

And yet they sensed in him a love 

So human, so man-like, 

.That he to them could be no other 
than a man. 

That which he touched was hallowed 
by the touch. 

His presence was magnetic — all per- 
suasive, 

His mein was royal and 

His look betokened dignity of soul. 

When he was there they felt secure; 



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No harm could them befall. 

A vitalizing atmosphere surrounded 

him 
And made his presence felt on all 

about. 
Like man he slept and ate and loved; 
And yet at times he seemed divine. 



Such was the guest who passed the 

night 
Within that modest home in Bethany. 
And they all slept, — 
Martha to wake and ponder o'er the 

morning meal; 
Mary to weep over the thought 
Of the departure of her guest; 
Lazarus to feel again deep gratitude 



30 



For being called back to life, 

And Jesus to resume with patient joy 

The mission he was sent upon. 

The morning sun rose o'er the hills 
That hid Jerusalem from this 
Secluded spot, in all its beauty. 
Early had Jesus left his cot 
And sought the roof, there to com- 
mune 
With his own Self, sublime, — 
The very Father who within him 

dwelt. 
And, as the light broke o'er the hills, 
He lifted up his eyes and blessed the 

day 
Coming to him so auspiciously. 



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He turned in thought to those he 

loved 
Most tenderly, — this little family — 
His absent comrades, a stone's throw 

away, 
His subjugated race whom blindness 

long 
Had held in servitude beneath 
The Roman yoke, — Jerusalem 
So changed from what it was 
In pristine days, — and there he 

blessed them all. 

Descending to the living room 
He greeted each. Laz'rus had gone 
To meet a throng of neighbors who 
Were curious to know what he could 
tell. 



32 



Martha went busily about her work. 

But Mary, dropping every care, 

Seated herself low at the feet 

Of Jesus and looked on his face 

So radiant, while he spoke. 

He told her of his recent journeyings; 

How glad the common people listened 

to 
The words he gave, and how 
The Scribes and Pharisees opposed. 
How, at his word and touch, new life 
Came to the sick and weak; 
How the blind eyes let in the light. 
How deaf ears heard, at his com- 
mand, 



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How the lame walked, and melan- 
choly fled 
Before inspiring thought. 

Sitting thus at his feet, this child 

Of love drank in his words. 

Filling with admiration as he passed 

From scene to scene in the recital. 

She uttered not a word, until. 

After a pause, he said: 

''Of all that I have done, nothing 

Has left a keener sense of joy 

In my own heart than raising from 

the tomb 
Our brother Lazarus." 

"Ah, Sire," she said, as her hand 
reached 




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For his, and the tears filled 

Her large brown eyes, "You were so 

good to us! 
Why we should thus be singled out 
And thus so honored by thy dear 
Companionship and aid, I do not 

know; 
But, my dear Sire, our warmest 

thanks 
Are yours. Command me and 
My very life for you 
I would with joy lay down. 
I tremble when I hear the muttered 

threats 
Of those who love you not. 
Ah, can it be that men would harm 



36 



A hair of one so good and kind ? 
Of one who seeks but to uplift 
And bless humanity ? 
If I were but a man I fain 
Would guard you night and day 
And parry every thrust of word or 

sword. 
But I a woman am, only 
A weak and timid woman whom 
Those savage beasts would trample 

on 
And spurn." 

The morning sun shone through 
The open door and spread upon 
The floor a flood of light. 
It was a scene of love, the like 



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Of which God's sun rarely reveals; 
Mary and Jesus there alone, 
The light celestial glowing in 
The face of each. Where love 
In genuineness and purity 
Is found, there heaven is. 

For a brief moment Jesus 
Uttered not a word. He looked 
Upon the beaming face of her 
Who sat before him, with a tender- 
ness 
That love alone can show. 
No one could gaze upon this scene 
And doubt that these two souls did 
love. 



38 



Love should be raised above 

The zone of physical desire, 

Of admiration of the face and form. 

It should be sublimated by 

The spirit and made pure and sweet. 

Creative in its impulses, 

Let its creations seek the higher 

planes, 
For thus it is emancipated from 
The selfish and the gross, 
And set on high, a thing 
To worship and adore. 

'Twas such a love that moved 

Son of Man 
Toward Mary, and it well became 
His station and his work for human 

kind. 



39 





Love needs a Mary and a Jesus to 

Proclaim its greatness and 

Its purity divine. 

He was a "Son of Man," 

He was a "Son of God." 

In him the Father dwelt, 

As he in us doth dwell. 

In the Infinite did he live 

And move and have his being, as do 

we; 
He formed a part of the Infinite 

Whole, 
And so do we — both you and I. 
He was the "Elder Brother," of 
A common Father whom we all adore. 
He called us "Sons of God"; 



40 



He saves us by his life and word of 

truth, 
Not by his death. 
Both "life and immortality 
Are brought to light" through him. 
He taught the power of faith 
To overcome the world and raise 
Man to his true estate. 
Beelzebub they called him, 
Denouncing all the truths he taught. 
Whole truths he spoke, but men 
See only half, and call him "God," 
And, though extolling him, do not 
Conform to what he taught. 



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And then he said, to the expectant 
maid. 



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"You dear, devoted soul, I know your 

heart. 
I knew it from the start, and loved 
It well. Closer you come to me 
Than any other of 
My friends and comrades, dear, 
I would that you could always with 
Me be, as you would love to be. 
But a stern mission is pressed home 
Upon my soul, and I must see it 

done. 
Whither it urges me, thither I go 
In all my manhood's strength. 
To do my work. But I shall seek 
Thee here whene'er I can, for this 
To me is home, and here I know 
A loyal heart forever waits for me. 



42 




Now let me tell you, what to none 
I've told, the story of thy brother's 

rise 
From out the grave." 

"Love was the motive power," he 

said, 
As on her head he laid a gentle hand. 
"I loved your brother Lazarus; 
1 knew his kindly ways, 
His sincere heart, his love for you 
And Martha, and I knew 
How sore bereft you could but feel. 
My own heart bled when first I 

heard 
That Death had seized him. 
But then, in childlike faith, 



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My spirit rose within me and 
I felt Divinity moving me strong. 
So, with an impulse born, I say, of 

love, 
I bade you cheerful be, 
Assuring you that he should rise. 
I saw the struggle of your faith, — 
I saw its triumph, too. 
And that same faith, founded, itself, 

on love. 
United then with mine and urged 

me on. 

Yet as we went along the way 
Toward the tomb, I could but weep; 
Though not in sorrow for the dead; 
My heart seemed melted by 



44 



A burst of human pity and regard. 
Thought of the unnecessary woe 
That lies upon the human heart 
And weights the body with infirmi- 
ties 
Came in upon me like an avalanche, 
Until again I felt like crying out 
In deeper earnestness, 
'All ye that labor and are overborne 
With burdens of the flesh and mind, 
Come unto me and I will give you 
rest ! ' 



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As we went on a consciousness pro- 
found 
Of power arose in me. 
The Energy Divine within us, child. 



45 





We do not apprehend, nor yet em- 
ploy 

As heaven designed we should. 

Beside the borders of our conscious- 
ness 

Is a vast wealth of power 

Ready for recognition and for use. 

Realization of this power 

Comes to me o'er and o'er, as it 

Came on that day I called 

Thy brother forth from that dark 
tomb." 

While thus the Master, in his accents 

low. 
Recited the events 
So deeply stamped upon her memory, 



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And opened to her view 
His innermost experiences, 
Worshipful adoration filled her soul. 
To her he was Divinity in human 

form ; 
She worshiped at his shrine; 
She loved as ne'er before; 
She loved as only woman loves — 
With all her might and mind and soul. 



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Mary had quite forgotten that the 

hour 
Of leisure with her guest 
Was putting on her sister, whom she 

loved, 
A heavy task, so all-absorbed 
Was she in deep communion with 




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Her deeper self and him she sat be- 
fore. 
With hasty step Martha came in 
And said, in petulance, to him 
Who innocently had thrown on her 
More than her share of work 
Among the pots and kettles of 
The little home, her cheeks aglow 
And her voice vibrant with emotion, 
''Why should you keep her. Sire, 
And lay on me the burden of 
The early morning work? 
Carest thou not?" 



He looked on her, and, smiling, said, 
''Oh, Martha! Martha, dear! you 
anxious are 



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And troubled over many things. 
One thing is needful, and your 

sister, here, 
That better part hath chosen, which 
From her shall ne'er be taken. 
Be not so much concerned about 
The frills and fringes of your daily 

life. 
But set your heart on higher things- 
•The things that last. 
I thank you for the service you have 

done; 
'Tis needful that we eat and sleep. 
And do the daily tasks pertaining to 
Domestic life, and Mary ever has 
Her part well borne in these. 



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But there is huiiger of the heart and 

soul 
Far more essential, which, neglected, 

starves 
The best there is in us, 
And makes our lives, otherwise rich, 
Barren and fruitless. 
So chide us not, my sister dear, 
But join us, if you will, and hear 
The story of thy brother's rise." 

Touched by the kind rebuke, Martha 
Sat down beside her sister, where 
The sunlight lay upon the floor, 
And listened while her guest 
Again resumed his recital. 
^'Before you entered," he continued, 



50 



''To Mary I rehearsed my feelings on 
The way whither you sisters had 
His body carried to the tomb 
Before you sought me out, — 
The way in which our little com- 
pany, 
Bent on relief, that day passed on. 

At last we stood before the tomb. 
It was a solemn moment, for 
I knew what it would mean to you 
To have him come forth warm and 

well. 
That his dull ears should fail to 

hear 
My voice, when I should bid him 

rise. 



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Was not a possibility to be 
Seriously considered, for my faith 
Was absolute, unwavering, sure. 
How sad that men should ever 

doubt, 
And thus bring on them needless 

woe! 
What will not yield to faith, will 

yield 
To nought in earth or heaven. 
Faith is the spark which lights the 

fire; 
It is the key that turns the power on 
In its resistlessness! 

I saw the people massed about the 
tomb, 




Expectant and intent, not knowing 

what 
Effect upon the sleeping one 
The Son of Man could hope to make. 



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I had no studied method of ap- 
proach ; 

Nor scarcely did I know 

The nature of the action to be 
wrought ; 

I only knew that I was led, 

And that through me the Father 
would 

A marvel do before the eyes 

Of those who stood about. 



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I bade them roll away the stone 
Which sealed the tomb, and then 



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I did not haste, but waited till 
The uprush came, for come I knew 

it would. 
Meanwhile I looked about upon the 

throng. 
And in the faces there I read 
Emotions deep of sorrow, care, 
Expectancy, appeal and profound 

faith. 
I looked at Martha, and at you 
Who never seemed so dear. 
A prayer for help was in the eyes of 

both : 
A prayer of faith which reinforced 

my own 
And made assurance doubly sure. 



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Immediately my course was clear; 

Assurance filled my soul; 

The Father bade me call thy 
brother back to life. 

Power, resistless, restless, urgent, 

Waited upon the word. 

I raised my eyes and voice in grati- 
tude 

To him who had us heard, and 
blessed his name. 

Potentially the deed already had 
been done. 

And so I called thy brother not to 
rise, 

But to 'Come forth' — and forth 
he came. 



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Man's thaumaturgic powers 
Are in him, but they are not his. 
It was the Father, — God, — not I, 
Who raised thy brother Lazarus. 
And yet we all are one. 
We do God no dishonor when 
We call the power ours. 
The spirit and the purpose are 
What give the deed its character. 
We cannot mock him, nor deceive — 
He knows our hearts and lives, — 
And he is pleased to see his children 

show 
Their confidence and power. 
The superstitious and the ignorant 
Persist in calling me 'Lord! Lord!' 



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Though I have sought to make it 

plain 
That I am human like the rest, 
And that humanity is real divinity, 
Though still divinity in embryo. 
Could they but comprehend the 

truth 
That we are all children of God, 
Then would they not call any man 
'Lord! Lord!' knowing that God 

alone 
In his vast fulness. 
Should thus be known and desig- 
nated." 



" 'Twas wonderful!" Martha 
claimed. 



ex- 



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"How came you by this marvelous 

power, 
My Sire ? — this power that heals the 

sick, 
Opens blind eyes, gives the weak 

strength, 
And brings again to life those who 

were dead ? 
It passes comprehension. Sire; 
What power but God's could do all 

this? 
We knew you as a youth; 
And, though the people said 
You were begot by God's own power 
And were a king in embryo, 
We always thought you but a man." 



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"My child," he said, "it is the power 

of God. 
It dwells in us, — in you as well as 

me, 
In all mankind, though they may 

know it not. 
It is occult, hidden, unrecognized. 
How can one use a power he does 
Not recognize and into action bring 
On suitable occasion? 
He first must know and then can 

learn to use. 
For many years I dwelt alone 
As you well know. 
With my Subliminal Self — 
Which is the'God within us, child, 



60 




Communing with him, hushing the 

senses, 
Subjugating the body and the mind 
To the one purpose of control. 
He who would aid his fellow men 
And do aright the work designed for 

him 
Must first bring every action well 
Into alignment with his will. 
He must be Master of himself. 
The processes are multiform — 
I cannot here relate them all; 
My power has come through them. 
Ah, most of all we need to^know 
The unity of life in all its forms. 



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He who diversities of power and 
Discordances of interests sees in 

this 
Vast Universe, in man and beast, 
In heaven and earth, in flesh 
And spirit, rises not unto the height 
Of power he might attain. He is 
Not masterful and strong. 
While he who sees in all a unity 
Of purpose and of plan. 
With love pervading all, 
Gets to the core of things. 
He has no fear; his faith can rise 

supreme 
And bring him into harmony 




With all creative and administrative 

forces. 
You asked me to explain, 
And that request I plead as my 

excuse 
For this elaboration of the truth. 
You may not fully understand e'en 

now, 
But this I would make clear: 
There is no discord in God's realm, 
For God is all, and all is God. 
Believe it, and faith then will take 

the place 
Of fear and fill your hearts with 

peace. 



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I want you opulent in love and joy. 
As for myself, I rest in peace; 
No harm can me befall. 
Men may despise and buffet me; 
They may not harken to my word; 
They may e'en persecute and slay ; 
But in my heart there is no fear nor 

hate. 
We have to change; we cannot stay 

forever here; 
But fear let us not have. 
Our hands should ever do with 

might 
Whate'er they find to do. 




Let us, then, worry not nor fret. 
My spirit is not always gay, 
But it is calm and sure. 
I rest not, for this message I 
Must spread while it is day; 
The night cometh, and then we 
rest." 

"Dear Master," Mary said, "the very 

thought 
Of death to you fills me with pain. 
You who can raise the dead 
Need not, aye, must not die." 

"My child," was his response, 
"A grain of wheat cannot bear fruit 
Except it fall upon the earth and 
die. 



65 




'Tis better that it germinate and 
multiply. 

When we go hence we do not cease 
to be. 

There is a higher and a better life 

To which this is the vestibule. 

Believe, my child, that kinship, here 
first known 

'Twixt soul and soul, shall, in the life 
beyond. 

Reach higher recognition and ex- 
perience." 

Then, rising, Jesus said: ''I must 

Not longer keep you from your 
tasks. 



66 




"I would not have you negligent 
And careless of the duties and the 

work 
Pertaining to this life. 
Moreover, sisters dear, 
In being faithful here to all 
Your obligations and your tasks 
I would not have you miss 
The various joys of life. 
Use them as not abusing them 
And they will yield you health of 

body. 
Strength of mind, as God designed 

they should. 
Holding an even balance twixt 
The serious and the light 



67 



} 



Will give you fitting poise. 
Your Father is no tyrant lord, 
And he would have his children 
glad." 



68 




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"I know not where his islands lift 
"Their fronded palms in air; 

"I only know I cannot drift 
"Beyond his love and care." 

— Whittier. 



I 




LOWLY the morning sun arose 
From out the east and scattered all 
The shadows of the night. 



A lonely watcher waited at 

The little home in 

Bethany 

liiTo catch its first 

warm ray. 

The hours had dragged their pace, 
And long ere dawn this maiden fair 

had sought 
The roof that she might muse alone 
On him whose welfare dearer was 

than life, 



V 



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is. 



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And pray that safety him might wrap 
As in a robe, to shield him from 
The hate of evil men. 
When last he left them with a word of 

cheer, 
To eat with his disciples the 
Passover feast, conviction deep 
Had settled in her heart that their 

rude home 
No more should claim him as a guest. 



Rumors of wicked plans against 
His life hung on the lips of those 
Fresh from the temple crowd. 
'Twas said the priests and elders 
sought 





THE WAY TO THE JUDGMENT HALL 



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By subterfuge and stealth to bring 
On him the condemnation of the law, 
That he might die by Roman hands. 

The common people loved him, but 
The Scribes and Pharisees both 

feared and hated him 
And wished him dead. 

For her there was no sleep. There 
hung on her 

A heavy apprehension, like a pall. 

All night her very soul seemed vigi- 
lant; 

And then, as for a moment once she 
slept. 

She saw a savage mob, and, in 



74 



The midst, the one she loved 
Replying to their angry looks 
With the same confidence and calm 
She oft had seen, when, in their talk, 
The bitter hatred of the Sanhedrem, 
And what the dire result might be, 
Was uppermost. 
She saw herself pass through the 

crowd 
And seize his hand. She heard her 

words, 
"Jesus, I love thee, and our God is 

near;" 
And his response, "My child, I felt 

thee near." 



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And then they pushed her back with 

ruffian hands 
And said, "Begone!" 

But see, a dusty traveller 

Hastens to the door — grief in his 

pallid face — 
Simon the leper, who, with trembling 

voice, 
As Mary stooped to hear, 
"Hasten! He needs you! He 
Is doomed to death! The cross! 

The cross!" 

The way from Bethany, along 

Its winding course, was quickly sped. 

Wings to our feet love gives. 



76 



Removes our fleshly limitations, and 

Brings out the larger qualities 

Of mind and soul. 

And yet to Mary 'twas a tedious way. 



V 



As she approaehed the city walls 
There came from devious ways a 

motley crowd 
'Mong whom the word had passed 
That on Golgotha, to the north, 
Where many a time the cross had 

been set up 
And death had come to the relief 
Of tortured criminals, was where 
This Jewish heretic was now to die. 



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By various routes they sought the 

spot: 
Some through the eastern gateway 

hurried in 
And sped along the city streets, 
While others wound their way 
By devious paths outside the walls, 
Too many of them urged by morbid 

sense 
Towards the fateful hill. 



V 



Lost in a reverie, scarce knowing 

how, 
The Hebrew maiden reached the 

conducting throng 
Just as the mob rushed forth. 




With ribald jest, from out the north- 
ern gate, 

The victim of their rage led on 

By Roman soldiers to his doom. 

Well in the van. 

She saw his pallid face, noble,though 
meek, 

And thought his eye caught hers 

Though he seemed not to heed the 
throng. 

Without the walls they laid a cross 
Upon his shoulders, with a curse, 
And bade him bear it on the way 
To Calvary. But soon he sank 
In sheer exhaustion from the load. 



80 



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And, when they found his weary 

frame 
No longer could endure the strain, 
They forced a foreigner to bear the 

cross, 
And hastened on with savage yell. 

Carried along as in a dream 
►From which she fain would wake, 
Stunned by the sight, the fountain of 

her tears 
Dried unto parching by the heat 
Of the emotions burning in her soul, 
The bruised, grief-ridden girl. 
Sick with the sights and maddened by 




the thought 



I 



Of what must follow, knew not for 

a time 
Herself and what was done. 
She saw not with a conscious eye, 
Nor heard with conscious ears. 

And yet at last she found herself, 
With Jesus' mother, near the cross 
On which she saw the form of him 
For whom to die would be a joy. 
And as she raised her tear-dimmed 

eyes 
To him she caught a look of tender- 
ness. 
And heard, though others seemed not 
to hear, 



82 



In accents suffering could not dis- 
guise, 
"I felt you near. Courage, my dear, 
'Tiswell!" 

And then she knew not what was 

done or said: 
She seemed to dream again of earlier 

days — 
Of sitting at his feet to hear 
Him speak in a melodious tone 
Deep truths her untrained mind 
But poorly understood, but which 
About her threw a spell and filled 
Her sincere soul with joy. 
Memories of former days and fancies 

new 



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Sped lightly through her unruled 
mind — 

Fantastic thoughts of love, of girl- 
hood times, 

Of forms grotesque, of ill-defined 
shapes. 

Voices she heard; God spoke to her 

As we are told He spoke to men 

In days sunk in obscurity. 

She walked and slept among her 

friends and kin, 
But consciousness was on another 

plane 
Of being, and hence she knew not 

what 
She said or did. 



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"Comfort one another; 
For the way is often dreary, 
And the feet are often weary, 

And the heart is very sad. 
There's a heavy burden bearing, 
When it seems that none is caring, 

And we half forget that ever we 
were glad." 

"Comfort one another 
With the hand-clasp close and tender. 
With the sweetness love can render. 

And the looks of friendly eyes. 
Do not wait with grace unspoken. 
While life's daily bread is broken; 

Gentle speech is oft like manna 
from the skies." 



1 



86 



I 



" Love is the wondrous angel of 
life that rolls away all the 
stones of sorrow and suffering 
from the pathway of life." 

— Wm. G. Jordan. 




HUS hours passed 

on, and days. 
At home they kept 

her, for 
Without restraint 

she would 
Have wandered in 

the city streets. 
And 'bout the scene 

where last 
Her own identity she held. 

The mother of her Lord was also at 
The little house in Bethany. 
Mary of Magdala was likewise there ; 
And here their griefs they shared 

alone ; 
With the coarse world shut out. 



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They knew the tomb where he was 

laid, 
And, on the morn of the succeeding 

day. 
Had found it sealed, and guarded by 
The Romans, gruff and grim. 

They had in mind what he had said 
Of the "third day," and, though they 

knew 
Not what it meant, in conscious 

sense, 
There was a deep conviction that 
The tomb could not him hold for aye. 
And that he might arise again. 
Called by the voice of God aback 
To life, as he himself had Laz'rus 

called. 



90 




The little house at Bethany- 
Was lighted early on that morn — 
The first day of the week — the third 
Since they had seen the tomb close on 
The form of him so dearly loved. 

That first day of the week 'twas 

hoped 
Would prove, as he had said, the day 

on which, 
In life, he should come from the 

tomb; 
And they felt that, with early morn. 
He would appear to greet his friends. 
Proving his Sonship and God's power. 

Mary had waked serene and strong. 
Her former poise restored, and joined 
The other eager women — Marys all — 
As they set out in simple faith. 



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'Twas early in the morn, some hours 

before 
The day should dawn, the Marys 

three 
Ventured upon their lonely pilgrim- 
age. 
The elder had no longer need 
To guard and guide the maiden, for 
Her fancies all had taken wing, 
As do the fancies of a night of dreams. 
A holy calm had settled on her mind. 
And her strong soul seemed recon- 
ciled 
Unto the fatal thrust of Fate. 



Emotions of a lofty kind make brave 
The hearts of those they fill. 
There was no fear of harm 
As they pressed onward towards the 
tomb. 




The pale moon shone upon the way 

And gave Jerusalem a silver tint 

As it lay there before them calm and 

still, 
A fitting emblem of the soul 
Of him whose mutilated body lay 
So near its walls. 

Before the eastern sky began to light 
Its morning fires, they neared the 

tomb. 
The figures of the Roman guard 
Were plainly seen before its rock- 
hewn door; 
The soft breeze of the early morn 
Fanned the warm faces of these 

Marys three, 
As for the moment there they stood. 
Lone witnesses of what stern Death 
can do. 



IKJ 



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Then suddenly a sight most strange 
Arose before their eyes : there was 
A quiver and a quake passed through 
The earth and air. A light shone 

forth 
From out the sky, and a bright form 
Stood at the entrance of the tomb. 
Knowing in part its meaning true, 
Seized with a sudden impulse to 

approach, 
They hurried to the spot. 

The tomb was open, and the stone 
Which sealed its mouth lay at one 

side; 
The Roman guard lay as in sleep, 
Stupid, unheeding, stunned. 

With anxious agitation they looked 

in, 
And lo ! an angel form sat there 



94 



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As though in wait for them. 

No other form was seen within the 

tomb. 
"Fear not!" the angel said, "Fear 

not! 
I know for whom ye seek; he is not 

here. 
Did he not say that he had power 
To lay his body down and take it 

up? 
Go tell to all that he has gone to 

Galilee. 
There they shall see him face to 

face." 

Turning away in joy the Marys then 
Made haste to carry back the news, 
When there they saw their risen Lord, 
Who greeted them and said, "Go tell 
the rest 



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To haste to Galilee. 

Lo! there they me shall see." 

Doth love end here in time and sense ? 

Is it ephemeral ? 

Is that which makes life beautiful 
and true — 

Which animates and thrills — 

Is that which rounds our being into 
form 

And gives us more abundant life — 

Is it to perish with the porcelain form 

To which it clings? 

It cannot be. Love, like the soul, 

The mind, the spirit which it ani- 
mates, 

Must live for aye and aye, 

Gath'ring new energy as it unfolds 

To all eternity. 



96 



DEC 24 ?90§ 




